Prequel to Eugene Fitzherbert
by MaggieMaybe160
Summary: The story of Eugene Fitzherbert/Flynn Ryder's parents. Who they were, how he ended up an orphan, and what their lives were like.
1. Chapter 1

Beatrix Fitzherbert looked into the filthy mirror in front of her as she stuck small flowers into her dark brown braids. Flowers were only for her as her show name was Flora. In fact, her name had been Flora for so long she was the only living person who still knew her name as Beatrix.

"Too pale." The older woman who ran the brothel said as she passed Flora. Flora immediately grabbed her rouge and started in on her cheeks which were pale white. She grabbed the red lipstick and painted her lips. She stood up, adjusting her breasts in the mirror to make them spill a little over the top of her too tight dress. She started toward the showroom curtain. "Not you."

"More rouge?"

"No. You've been paid for for the night. I'll bring you to the room in a moment." The older woman was a woman everyone called 'Mama'. Most of the girls, like Flora, had been here since they were thirteen and Mama had been the only mother they could remember.

Flora didn't argue with Mama. Men who bought girls for a full night were rich and were putting down more money than the men who chose during or after the show. Flora preferred the nights with one man for two reasons. The first was because it was more money for her and Mama both. The second was because if one man bought you for a full night, you only had to sleep with one man. No other man could enjoy you until the following night.

Mama showed Flora to a room upstairs where a well dressed man waited. He stood at the fireplace. His skin was the soft brown of a Spaniard. His black hair flopped into his eyes which were brown. Mama closed the door behind Flora. After the door closed, the man turned to face Flora who ran one of her hands idly down her side.

He didn't say anything as he crossed the room to her, taking her slight form into his arms and kissing her deeply. She wondered if kisses like this would woo a woman who wasn't like her. She wondered if he had a wife and felt bad for his imaginary wife as she always did. She led him to the bed and laid down, dragging her fingers up her thighs bringing the dress with them. He spread her legs apart and pulled her bodice down, kissing her chest as he ran his hands down her legs. She felt one of his hands leave her legs and heard his pants drop to the floor. His mouth stayed on her neck, sucking and biting as he thrusted into her and moved his hips. She moaned even though she felt no orgasm or love. She tangled her fists into his hair and sighed with satisfaction when he finished.

He backed away from her a few steps before she started to pull her skirts back down. This was usually the part where he left to go back to his family for the night or paid for a separate room to sleep in while she slept here. Instead, he took off the rest of his clothes and climbed into the bed. The language barrier kept him from actually talking to her but he gestured for her to do the same.

"Play wife?" She asked, mostly to herself, as she untied her dress and stepped out of it. He didn't answer, only watched her with his deep brown eyes as she walked toward the bed completely naked. She climbed into the bed and laid down, looking up at him since he was propped up on one elbow. He was beautiful, she had to admit. He traced his fingers up and down her body under the covers and planted kisses all over her body. He had her three more times until the sun rose and he dressed himself and left.

Flora went to the fireplace mantle where he'd left her money. She shoved it into her coin purse and pulled her dress back on. When she left the room, a few other girls were leaving their rooms, too. Everyone's hair was sticking out in various directions and the makeup from last night was either smudged or gone. They made their way downstairs to where Mama had a small breakfast set up. Flora stopped by her actual bed which was next to her friend, Kiki, and grabbed a shawl. Kiki had followed her to do the same.

"Was he exotic?" Kiki asked in a whisper, smiling widely.

"Spanish." Flora answered with a small giggle. They wrapped their shawls around themselves tightly before going out to grab breakfast. "He had an appetite." Flora served herself eggs and stale toast before grabbing tea and sitting down by the main fireplace in the now empty brothel.

"How much?" Kiki sat next to her, warming her hands by the fire before grabbing her tea from the table.

"Four times. We didn't sleep at all. How was your night?"

"Three men, once each. Did you make much?" Flora reached into her coin purse and showed her friend the handful of money. They both giggled as she put it away. "Rich men."

"Rich exotic men," correctly Flora with a dreamy sigh.


	2. Chapter 2

Travel was slow but a month after leaving Germany, Esteban had made it back to Spain. His wife, Isabel, welcomed him home with kisses.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Esteban asked eagerly as his wife led him to their baby's room. Esteban had been away for months. He'd left when his wife was five months pregnant and was returning only now on his child's sixth month of being alive.

" _Her_ name is Maria." Isabel said with a smile as she opened the door. Esteban went to the white crib that they had been given by his older brother since they were done having children. He lifted the baby girl into his arms and grinned.

"She's beautiful, like her mama." He kissed the baby before kissing his wife again.

* * *

Flora and Kiki were lounging in their room together. Since they were the two main stars they had their own shared room instead of sleeping in the communal room with the dozen other girls. It was around noon which was when they were usually sleeping. Flora wasn't tired. Kiki couldn't sleep unless Flora was sleeping too.

"You're still thinking about him, aren't you?" Kiki asked, staring up at the ceiling. Flora's head was swimming with the liquor from the night before.

"No one has beaten him yet." Flora ran her hands through her long wavy brown hair that was loose and hanging down toward the floor.

"You need to stop thinking about him. It's not love. We can't fall in love." Kiki took another swig of her drink and hiccuped once.

"I don't think I love him. I just want someone to kiss me that way again." She ran her hand down her body and giggled. Kiki's giggles met hers. "Exotic men are much better lovers than locals. They like to pretend we're their wife or girlfriend or the woman their lusting after. Locals just want to stick it in and go."

"True." Kiki handed the bottle to Flora who took a gulp before she could stop herself.

"Dinner! Then go get pretty!" Mama shouted. Flora jerked awake. Kiki was curled up on her bed. They both groaned as they opened their eyes and sat up groggily.

"My head," groaned Flora, reaching for the liquor. She chugged a few burning gulpfuls down and handed the bottle to Kiki who finished the bottle. They walked out of their room together and grabbed some stale bread and beef stew that smelled like it was weeks old.

"Flora, you get the next few days off." Mama said behind Flora as she passed. Flora nodded but she'd paled and looked at her friend with wide eyes.

"What?" Kiki asked around a mouthful of bread.

"It should be that time but it hasn't come." Flora took a small bite of the beef stew. "It's probably just a little late. Nothing to worry about." She shook her head as if clearing her mind.

Flora had been sold to Mama when she was thirteen. Her father had needed the money for her sister to get married to a good family. She remembered when her father had woken her up in the middle of the night and told her she was going on a ride to go visit her grandparents while he dealt with her sister's engagement. The carriage had stopped too far away and in a bad part of town. In front of her was a woman who'd introduced herself as Mama.

Mama looked the same as she had when Flora first got there. Her hair was always back in thick gray braids and her pale skin was lined with age. She wore a dress with a high collared coat. She had looked Flora up and down as they entered the brothel and named her Flora. She was given an invasive physical and worked with Mama until the day when a man saw her and asked for her instead of one of the other show girls.

Flora opened her eyes from the dreamless sleep she'd had. Early morning light spilled into the room making her guess that it was maybe four in the morning. She rolled over and glanced at Kiki's empty bed before burying her face in her dirty pillow. She began to daydream hoping that it would lead back to sleep.

 _The Spanish stranger stood next to the fireplace in the main hall. He looked up to see Flora coming into the room from the kitchen. His smile changed his face. He flipped his black hair out of his eyes and gave her a smouldering look. She felt her heart flutter in her chest as she neared him. His arms were around her and his lips caressed her neck._

" _Take me away from here." She moaned, her hands in his hair as his mouth moved to her breasts. He nodded and picked her up like a bride, carrying her out of the brothel. When he put her down again she was on a beautiful bed in a real house. He kissed her and started tearing her clothes away as she did to his._

"Wake up." Kiki was standing over her with a small smile on her lips. Her blonde hair was hanging down in loose curls. Flora nodded and sat up. "Need tea or something stronger?"

"Tea is probably fine." Flora took the cup that Kiki was offering. "How was your night?"

"The usual." Kiki shrugged.


	3. Chapter 3

Esteban sat with his friend Hector in his study at home. Hector had brought with him the pitch of a business venture in Italy. Esteban thought of his small daughter who wasn't even a year old yet. His wife would be furious if he left this soon after coming home.

"I told you. I can't leave for a few months at least."

"You've been home a full month." Hector argued. Esteban thought that this might be why his friend was having marriage troubles. His wife was still without children and barely had a husband to speak about since Hector was always off on adventures with Esteban. Being rich came at a price.

"Isabel would murder me. Maria is only seven months. We can go again when she's a little older." Esteban promised, opening his study door. Hector left with a wave to Isabel and Maria who were on the front porch. Esteban joined Isabel on the porch where Maria was getting a bath.

* * *

Flora was sitting on the floor in her room shoulder to shoulder with Kiki. They were passing a bottle back and forth and talking about what they planned to do with their money.

"Think we'll ever get out of here? Live real lives?" Flora asked before taking a gulp.

"Maybe if we did it together. By ourselves we might not make it and after we leave Mama's not going to bring us back in." Kiki hiccuped and took the bottle again.

"What if we found men who would take care of us?" Flora splayed her fingers over her stomach. Kiki didn't notice but she screwed up her face.

"I could take care of us." Kiki said with a sideways glance. Kiki moved so she was kneeling in front of Flora and grabbed her face between her hands before pressing her lips to Flora's. Kiki's lips parted Flora's and they kissed a deep passionate kiss that made Flora's arms come up around Kiki's shoulders to press their bodies together.

Suddenly Flora tore away. They were both breathing hard and red in the face. "I need to tell you something."

"Tell me anything you want." Kiki sat back, pushing her blonde curls out of her face.

"I'm pregnant and I can't stay here when I start to show." Flora blurted out. It was the first time she'd said it out loud. Kiki closed her eyes looking sad.

"Mama doesn't know?" Kiki asked finally, breaking the silence.

"I couldn't tell her." Flora looked down.

"We have to get you out of here before she ever finds out. How much money do we have together? Maybe we have enough to live in an apartment and try to start new lives." Kiki was talking quickly and in a hushed whisper so no one could hear them.

"Probably not enough, Kiki." Flora pushed herself up off the ground. "Let's work until I can't and then we'll run." Kiki nodded and followed Flora out to the kitchen where they each grabbed another bottle.

"Flora!" Mama called. Kiki retreated into their room, uncorking the bottle with her teeth and taking a long drink. Flora stepped toward Mama who sat at her desk. She itched to drink in the liquor and forget about the world she was apart of but instead she stood in front of Mama. "You're paid for for the night."

"Local or traveler?" Flora asked, hearing the slight slur in her own voice.

"Local. You've had him before. Extra rouge tonight, darling."

"Yes, Mama." Flora bowed her head and retreated back to her room, taking a swig from her bottle and feeling her head swim as she stumbled back into her room.


	4. Chapter 4

"Where are you going this time, Esteban?" Isabel was sobbing. Down the hall, Maria cried for her mother but no one was listening as Esteban packed his bag.

"Hector and I are going to Italy on business. You want that don't you? Money?" Esteban yelled but he didn't know why he was yelling anymore. They had money. They had plenty of money. He had enough money to do whatever he wanted to do. He could go anywhere that he wanted to go. He wanted to be freer than he felt. He wanted to travel and not deal with a crying baby and a fussing wife. He wanted to go back to the days of careless sex with exotic women and a free life.

"We have money." Isabel sobbed. He loved her. He would always love her. He just wanted to get out for awhile. He wanted to be who he was when he'd swept her off her feet being the rich handsome man he was.

"Isabel, I'll be back soon. I'll be back before she's one." He promised and tried to kiss his wife but was met with a slap. He pressed his hand to his face and left without another word.

* * *

Flora sat by the window of her new apartment waiting for Kiki to come back to her. They had never exchanged their real names even after they'd fled from the brothel. Stalking up the street in a thin cloak was Kiki, her ringlet curls escaping from the hood. Flora let out a sigh of relief as Kiki made her way to the front door of the apartments.

"Food." Kiki put the bundles of groceries on the table. It smelled like it had been taken out of a dumpster but they were both used to that quality of food from living at the brothel for so long. Flora stayed where she was in the window seat. "Aren't you hungry?"

"I'm thirsty. I'll eat later." Flora promised but she wasn't sure she'd remember her promise later when her thoughts became as liquid as the contents of the bottle on the table. Kiki nodded and went to lie down on the bed. She patted the bed next to her and Flora went to her, cuddling against her only friend.

"What are we going to do?" Kiki asked, her hand running up and down Flora's arm.

"About what?"

"The baby." Kiki spoke as if it were obvious but Flora blushed, her hand going to her swollen middle.

"I have to give the baby up. It's the only way they might live a normal life. It's the only chance I have to live a normal life." Flora hated herself for being selfish with her thoughts.

"Where?" Kiki asked in a soft voice. "Corona has a good orphanage with good people who might adopt. We can't go too far but you can't leave your baby in this town."

"Corona will work." Flora agreed.

Kiki got up and grabbed the liquor bottle from the table, taking a sip before passing it to Flora who gulped it down. She swallowed hard and handed it back to Kiki who took another drink and settled back on the bed next to Flora, her hand tracing Flora's reddening cheek. Kiki kissed Flora and pinned her to the bed, kissing her lips and neck. Flora let her. She felt it was the price for friendship and protection. She kissed back instead of moaning and let Kiki undress her with her lips trailing down her body.

"We need money." Flora whispered as she twirled a lock of Kiki's hair around her finger. It was too early in the morning to properly see. They cuddled closer under the blankets, pressing together. Kiki kissed Flora absently.

"What do we do about it?" Kiki yawned and stretched a little. "Mama won't take me back. She definitely won't take you back."

"There are other places." Flora ran a hand through her own hair and turned over so she was facing the wall. Kiki didn't answer her for so long that Flora thought she'd fallen back asleep. She ran a hand over the small swell of her stomach and silently cursed the man who'd done this to her. If this hadn't happened she could still be working and eating regularly.

"We could both try the street by ourselves." Kiki said quietly, kissing Flora's shoulder. Flora had thought of the idea of working the streets. Higher paying customers went to brothels. The desperate or naive only went so far as street corners.

Flora woke up still a little drunk from the night before and turned over to see Kiki was gone. She pulled the blankets tighter around herself and looked up at the ceiling. She fantasized about the Spanish stranger coming back and finding her. She dreamed of him taking her away and raising her child with her. She wondered why he had made such an impression on her. She ran her hands over her body under the covers and thought of his lips and hands. She'd never wanted another person as badly as she wanted him to come back to her even for just one night.

The door opened and Kiki stumbled in. She looked over to where Flora was on their shared bed and giggled. She laid down on top of Flora, kissing her. She stank of opium and hard liquor but Flora kissed her back, deciding she could pretend her friend was the stranger. Flora ripped off Kiki's clothes with closed eyes and pulled her under the blankets so they were pressed together. She burned with longing for the man that she'd never see again. Kiki moaned as Flora kissed her neck and breasts.

"What are we doing?" Flora whispered to Kiki when Kiki was done with her. Kiki went to where her clothes lay on the floor and picked them up, searching the pockets.

"We're living." Kiki replied absently.

"Who do you pretend I am when you fuck me?" Flora asked, taking the opium pipe from Kiki's outstretched hand and puffing on it.

"I don't pretend." Kiki said shortly. "You pretend?"

"No." Flora lied, instantly feeling guilty for dreaming of someone while her friend loved her. "Where were you?"

"Making money like you told me to." Kiki spilled coins onto the small table to show Flora what she'd made last night.


	5. Chapter 5

It was another month before Esteban made it back home. He walked up to his house and stepped in. Isabel sat in a rocking chair holding a bundle of blankets. Her eyes were closed and she looked peaceful as she slept. He went to their room and unpacked his things. When he came back out he walked quietly over to his sleeping wife and child and moved the blanket aside to see Maria.

Her face was an ashy pale compared to the healthy brown it was when he left. Panicked, he felt her face with his fingers. She was ice cold and there was no rise and fall to her chest. There was no movement or heartbeat or life.

"No!" He screamed, pulling the baby from his wife's arms. Isabel sat bolt upright, reaching for Maria. He cradled his daughter that he barely knew and cried. "No."

"Esteban, what?" Isabel got up and looked into the bluish face of her daughter and gasped, staggering back. "What's happened?" She breathed before tears started to roll down her face.

"Was she alive when you fell asleep?" Esteban demanded of his wife, wanting to put down the dead child but never put down his daughter at the same time.

"Of course she was!" Isabel sobbed. Esteban sank to his knees and cried.

They buried her together under a tree at the edge of their property. Esteban asked Isabel repeatedly what happened but the story was the same every time she told it. She'd fallen asleep after nursing Maria. Maria had fallen asleep first and she was making little baby noises as she slept. She woke to Esteban's yell only an hour or so later. Isabel didn't remember being overtaken with grief and anger over her husband's absence and the incessant cries from the baby. Isabel didn't remember smothering her child and falling asleep as if nothing had happened.

* * *

No payments had been made on the apartment and Kiki hadn't told Flora about their eviction. The landlord came in, waking Flora from her drunken stupor and threw her out into the streets. Kiki had found her later that morning, huddled against the building.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Flora demanded, furious at her friend.

"I was trying to make other arrangements." Kiki said dismissively. Flora wanted to hit her for being so careless but Kiki was the only one taking care of her at all.

"Where were you?" Flora felt all of her anger boiling over suddenly. She knew she was yelling but she couldn't bring her voice down.

"Oh like you care." Even from the distance that they stood apart, Flora couldn't mistake the dilated high look of her friend's eyes.

"Getting high all the time. No wonder we don't have money!" Flora shoved Kiki and started stalking down the street away from their old apartment building.

"Like you don't like it when I bring it home for you, too!" Kiki shouted after her, running to keep up. "Hypocritical bitch!"

"I didn't ask for this!" Flora screamed. Kiki stopped dead in her tracks as Flora screamed at her. No one stopped to watch the two whores fight in the street. No one cared as Kiki slapped Flora hard enough to make her spit blood. Flora pressed the back of her hand to her mouth and felt herself give into the hate that had built up over the past months. She shook her head and walked away, leaving Kiki in the street.

"I can still work." Flora pleaded with a manager. They looked her up and down skeptically. "Just give me one night to prove it and you can decide to hire me or not."

"If you can work books, you can stay. You won't be working in your condition, missy."

"I can." Flora had only ever counted her own money, not keeping track of the other girls'. She knew she could do it if she tried, though. This was her last chance at a job.


	6. Chapter 6

Esteban had left with Hector again, seeing as his wife wanted to do nothing but sit at the unmarked grave of their daughter. He'd wanted no part in it. Instead, he delved further into his work with Hector, only coming home when his luggage was filled with jewels and money. Only, this time he came back to find another man had taken his place in his bed with his wife.

He stood in the doorway of his room, looking at the sleeping forms of his wife and her new lover. He quietly went about the room, taking everything he'd bought, emptying his stashes of money, and finally slipping his wedding ring off and leaving it on the now empty dresser.

He walked over to where the man slept and sank his dagger through the man's ribs quickly. His eyes opened wide, and he let out a soft gasp. "You don't sleep with my wife in my bed." Esteban whispered into his ear as the other man died quietly next to a sleeping Isabel.

After the man was dead, Esteban left the room and slammed the door to wake his wife. He heard her scream and he left.

* * *

"How'd we do tonight?" The manager from the brothel she was keeping books for asked. She'd nicknamed him Pop. The nickname had risen for two reasons: since her last manager was Mama, she figured this man would be the Papa, and he was the only person she knew who was fat enough to pop his buttons off his shirt when he sat down or took too deep of a breath.

"Just fine." Flora showed him the flowing pages of customers and numbers and the cash box. He grinned and handed her the opium he'd promised her. She immediately took out the pipe she had in the drawer and started to smoke, leaning back and looking up at her manager.

"You were a star, weren't you?" Pop asked, sitting next to her. Flora nodded. "You sure are pretty enough to be one. When this is over, you can't go back."

"I know, Pop." She ran her hand over her bump. Pop took a drink from a flask and handed it to her after. She took it and drained the rest of the flask before handing it back to Pop with a smile.

"Being a mistress isn't a bad life, you know. You live in an apartment that's paid for and furnished by your man. You live a normal life with a husband and all."

"Are you asking me to be your mistress?" Out of the corner of her eye she could see the wedding ring on his hand. She barely cared.

"I can take care of you, baby." He pushed her hair away from her face and kissed her cheek. "If you say yes, I'll set you up in a nice little place and get you everything you need. Food, drink, bed, clothes."

"Will I just stay there waitin' for you to come over?"

"Yes. But I promise, baby, I'll be there every night."

Flora moved into an apartment with more furniture than she'd ever hoped to own. The wardrobe was stocked with new clothes. The pantry was filled with food. The rules were simple. She wasn't to return to the brothel, even to balance books. She wasn't to invite any men into the apartment, even the landlord. She was to remain in the apartment unless invited out with her master. Living a confined life didn't seem to bad after everything she'd been through in the past few months so she agreed to the terms.


	7. Chapter 7

"You still haven't told me why we aren't going home." Hector said sleepily. The rolling of the sea under their ship was lolling them both to sleep under the stars.

"And I won't." Esteban answered quietly as he looked up at the diamonds in the sky. He pulled his blanket tighter around himself and readjusted his arm under his head.

"You owe me some kind of an explanation." Hector didn't want to admit that he missed his wife. Having not seen her for so long, he was beginning to forget how often they fought.

"Isabel is no longer a wife to me. She is no longer a mother to Maria. She is the whore to a dead man. She has nothing and she will have nothing. I have nothing to return to. I have no reason to go back." Esteban said it with a chillingly even tone as if he didn't care about the words that were coming out of his mouth.

* * *

Flora couldn't sleep. As soon as Pop had fallen asleep, she pulled her nightdress on and went to sit in the plush chair by the window. She ran her hands over her stomach and hummed softly as she looked out over the sleeping town. She looked at the houses and wondered where Pop's wife was. She wondered where Kiki was.

Pop had been good to her. He'd weaned her off of opium, telling her that it aged her and he didn't like fucking something as limp as a blanket. "If I wanted that I would fuck my wife." So she'd gotten clean of opium. He gifted her clothing and jewelry. He brought her a bottle of booze a day and that was all she was allowed.

Pop stirred in the bed behind her and sat up. He looked around the room and saw her sitting by the window. "You look like an angel." He smiled. Flora turned and smiled at him in the dim room. He patted the bed next to him and she obediently rose from her chair and came to him. She took off the night dress as she climbed back into the warm bed.

His hand slid over her body and his lips found her neck as he pulled her against him. She closed her eyes and let out small fake whimpers and moans. She thought about how she could be an actress with the skills she had. She let him have her and pretended it was the best she'd ever had. She writhed and moaned, biting her lips tossing her hair.

This time when he slid off of her, he really did fall asleep. She got up again and sat down in her chair by the window again. She tried picturing who her child's father was and what her baby would look like. She knew too many men to even think about who it could be.


	8. Chapter 8

"You want to go home?" Esteban yelled at Hector. Hector had been the one who had talked him into everything. He was the one who wanted to become rich. Esteban was the only one who made it, though.

"Yes." Hector stood at the edge of the ship, looking at Spain in the distance. They had been fighting for days about whether to return or not.

"I'm going to do as I said I was going to do." Esteban said finally. "I don't want you trying to find me. I don't want anyone near me. You can go but you'll never see me again." Hector only nodded at his friend's threat.

* * *

"You haven't come to see me in weeks!" Flora knew she was raising her voice but she didn't care. "Don't you want me, still?" She pouted, leaning forward enough that her breasts were practically spilling out of the dress she was wearing.

"I'm sorry, baby." Pop lifted her chin up and kissed her. "There's just some things happening at home. I'm a husband, you know. I have responsibilities besides fucking the finest ass around." He squeezed her ass in his hand as he said it and she jumped, squeaking.

"You can tell me about it, you know." Flora said as she wrapped her arms up around Pop's shoulders. He kissed her, letting his hands slide down her body.

"After." He said, obviously preoccupied by her.

"Tell me." Flora said gently as she brushed her hair with the new brush he'd given her. He met her eyes in the mirror. He opened his mouth as if to answer but shook his head.

"I'm not telling you about my wife and I'm not telling my wife about you. You both know the other exists but you aren't going to sit here listening to me talk about her." He pulled his shirt on and sat awkwardly. "I'm going to go now. You can take whatever you want. This ends now."

"What?" Flora felt like the world had tipped. "You're leaving me?"

"Baby, we both knew this wasn't going to last forever. I need the money I'm spending on you. You can sell the jewelry and make it fine out there." Before she could protest, he was gone.

Flora did sell the jewelry. She sold most of the clothes. She slept in dark alleys and talked to no one. She waited for her baby to come.


	9. Chapter 9

Esteban thought of Hector's words to him right before he'd gone to live on this remote island. He'd told Esteban how amazing their journeys had been. They'd talked about their adventures and conquests and amazing lives. Hector had told him to write a book about it before asking to go back to Spain. Esteban had blown him off, mad at his friend for romanticising their misfortune into adventures and for wanting to return to a place that Esteban never wanted to see again. Now, he saw it for what it was: a great story. So he took out the notebook he'd brought with him and he wrote on the blank front page, "The Tales of Flynnigan Ryder".

* * *

Flora staggered to the orphanage, dread planting itself in her stomach like a heavy stone. The baby she held had soft olive skin and a tuft of brown hair that matched her own. He slept quietly as she made her way up the street. When she finally made it to the building she paused, looking down at the child in her arms. She knocked on the heavy doors a few times before readjusting the bundle in her arms.

She was led inside by a woman who brought her into an office with a heavy wooden desk that reminded Flora of Mama's desk. She shook her head and looked up at the woman's face. Money was discussed and Flora was asked if the child had a name. "Eugene Fitzherbert." Flora didn't know who his father was or if she had the last name of any of her clients. Her last name was all she had to give him because if she didn't, this child would be branded a bastard and whore's child his entire life.

She didn't know how she was supposed to say goodbye to the child she felt nothing real for. She looked down at his sleeping face and frowned before handing him over to the other woman.

 **Twenty six years later.**

Flora stumbled out of the opium den she'd been in all night. She staggered to a column that was supporting a building and retched next to it, leaning against it to keep on her feet. She wiped her mouth on the back of her hand and looked up at the wanted poster that was newly posted there.

 _Flynn Ryder. Thief. Wanted Dead or Alive._ She read silently to herself. The drawn picture of the man was a handsome one except for a crude caricature of a nose.

"Hey, baby." A man behind her leered, making kissing noises. She turned her attention away from the poster and to the man who was about to give her enough money for another night in the opium den.


End file.
